Refrigerator-car



E. POS SON. REFRIGERATOR CAR APPLICATION FILED APR- 10, 1920.

Lggg w, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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REFRIGERATOR CAR. APPLICATION FILE'D APR- 10. 192d.

1,399,079, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, I920.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

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E. POSSON.

REFRIGERATOR CAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1920.

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E. POSSON.

REFRIGERATOR CAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1920.

WIIIII W I I I'IZY/e Edward 72 Patented Dec. 5 1.

6 SHEETS SHE 5i 7 LZ I E. POSSO N. REFRIGERATOR CAR. APPLICATION FILED APR- 10, 1920.

1,399,979. Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

a a 63S- UK STT EDWARD POSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERAT DIR-CAR. 1

aeaoae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 3921.

Application filed April 10, 1920. Serial No. 372,883.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EDWARD PossoN, a cltizen of the United States, residing at. Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator Cars, of which the following is a specification.

,This invention relates to railway cars and its purpose is to provide improved means for converting a refrigerator car into acar adapted for general purposes. The present invention is a modification of .the invention covered in my prior Patent No. 1,322,051 granted November 18, 1919.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved construction of ice chain; bers having movable walls which may be operated to convert the ice chambers or refrigerant compartments into parts of the storage chamber or refrigerating compartment of the car. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sectional bulkhead extending transversely of the car to form a movable partition between the ice chamber and the storage chamber. Still another object is to provide improved means for supporting the sectional bulkhead. A particular object of 1 the invention is to provide means for supporting the sections of the bulkhead between the side walls of the car and for removing this supporting means when the bulkhead sections are moved into a position adjacent the roof of the car. A further important object of the invention is to eliminate the usual large air circulating chamber beneath the ice chamber and to provide an ice supporting platform lying in the same plane with the floor of the car. Still another feature is the provision of a removable ice supporting platform which is capable of being elevated to permit the cleaning of the drain in the floor of the car. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 shows a transverse sectional view through the interior of the car showing the sectional bulkhead which forms the partition between the storage chamber and the ice chamber;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view through the center of the car on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the construction of the sectional bulkhead and the method of supportm the same at the center of the car;

Ifig. 3 shows a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a vertical sectional view similar to F 1g. 2 with the sectional bulkhead and the side walls of the chamber elevated and with the support for the central portion of the bulkhead moved into inoperative position in the end wall of the car;

F 1g. 5 shows a perspective view of the upper edge of the upper sliding bulkhead section, illustrating the latch for holding the lcnnged bulkhead section in its vertical posi- Fig. 6 shows a to plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows a horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10 shows a horizontal sectional view on the line 1010 of Fig. 2.

This improved railway car comprises a center sill 10, side sills 11, a floor 12, side walls 13, end walls 14, and a roof 15, all of which may be constructed according to any of the usual methods followed in refrigerator car construction in order to provide. walls adapted to retard the passage of heat into, the interior of the car. When the car is used as a refrigerator car, it comprises an ice chamber 16 at each end of the car and an intermediate storage chamber 17 adapted to contain the goods being shipped. Since the ice chambers at each end of the car are alike in design, only one of these chambers is illus trated and described in connection with the associated parts of the-car. The partition between the ice chamber 16 and the storage chamber 17 is formed by a sectional bulkhead 20 comprising a plurality of complementary sections 21 which extend transversely of the'car and are adapted to co-act with each other along their horizontal edges. The complementary bulkhead sections are provided with interfitting tongues 22 and grooves 23 so that a tight closure is formed when the sections are in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. Each section 21 has a bracket 24 secured to each corner thereof by 'means of rivets 25. The sections 21 were cessed to receive the brackets and the brackets are provided with recesses 26 to re-' ceive the heads of the bolts 25. On the other sides of the bulkhead sections, the bolts are engaged by counter sunk washers 27 which are adapted to receive the nuts 28 so that all of these parts have their outer surfaces lying flush with the outer surfaces of the brackets. Each bracket 24 has a guide lug or stud 30 formed integrally therewith and projecting therefrom longitudinally of the bulkhead. These lugs 30 engage guideways 31which are formed in the Slde walls of the car by 1 means of metallic channel members 32 whic extend into recesses formed in the inside sheathing 33 of the car. Guide plates 34 overlap the lateral edges of the channels 31 and these guide plates as well as the channel members 32 are secured in position by screws 35 which extend through the sheathing 33 into the vertical frame members 36.

The guideways 31 extend vertically along the side walls of the car and communicate with relatively short inclined guideways 38 of similar construction, as shown for example in Fig. 4. These inclined portions 38 of the guideways communicate with horizontal portions 39 which extend longitudihaving nally of the car along the side walls and are closed at their ends. The guideways 38 and 39 are similar to the vertical portions 31 and embody sheet metal channel members 32 guide plates 34 overlapping the edges thereof. When it is desired to elevate the sections'21 in order to remove the sectional bulkhead, the sections are. moved upwardly with the lugs sliding in the guideways 31 and are passed into the horizontal portions 39 of the guideways. The sections are held in position in these guideways by means of lat'ch' members 40' which are mounted on) pivoted rods 41.- These latch members have tongues 42 adapted to engage the upper face of the last section, and shoulders 43 adapted to engage the lower edge of the last section so that the accition 44 which comprises a metal frame 44" its 'upper edge by dental return of these bulkhead sections into the vertical guideways is prevented.

The space between the uppermost section 21 and the upper part of the car is closed by means of a hinged bulkhead sechaving a woven 'wire panel 44 mounted therein. This section 44 issupported along hinges 45 which are mounted beneath the transverse frame member 46 of the roof of the car. Before asS= ing the bulkh ad sections 21 into the orizontal uideways 39, the section 44 is moved upwar y -about. its hinges and locked in ,its upper position by. a pivoted latch. 47

which is mounted to swing about abolt 48. When the bulkhead sections 21 are in the positions shown in Fig. 2, providing par titions across the car,

t the hinged section. 44

.width/ of the is maintained in alinement with the sliding sections by means of one or more locking members 50 and complementary plates 51.'

The plates 51 are secured to the upper edge "to be located opposite the plate 51, as shown in Fig. 5. Each locking member 50 is pivoted on a pin 52 which is carried by the boss 53 formed on the supporting plate 54. The plate 54 is mounted in a recess 55 formed in the upper edge of the bulkhead section and carries an upstanding lug 56 which is adapted to support the member 50 against lateral thrust when the latter is in its locking position. When it is desired to release the hingedbulkhead section 44, the member 50 is reversed in its position on the pivot pin 52, thereby causing the projecting part 50 to pass downwardly into the enlarged part 55 of the recess, whereupon the uppermost edge of the locking member lies flush with the upper edge of the section 21 and permits the hinged bulkhead section to pass thereover.

The floor 12 of the car is provided in the space between the bulkheads 20 with a reticulated ventilating floor 60 comprising transverse slats or floor members 61 spaced apart and carried by longitudinal frame members 62. This auxiliary floor terminates adjacent the lower edge of the bulkhead 20 and from this point to the end of the-car, the floor of the ice chamber, and the floor of the car when the bulkhead is not in use, are formed'by a movable floor section; 64 which comprises a series of frame members 65 extending longitudinally of the,

car with perforated metal plates 66 mounted on the upper edges thereof. This floor sec- 16 and is provided with upturned edges 69 so that a pan is formed to receive the water which drains through the perforated metal plate from the ice above. A portion of the flooring 12 is cut away substantially beneath the bulkhead 20 and this depression is o'ccupied by a portion of the sheet metal pan GQQtherebyforming a drain channel 70 which extends transversely throughout the car. A suitable drain trap may be connected to this drain to control the How of water therefrom. Some of the frame embers 65 of the floor section 64 of the/ice chamber extend across the drain channel 70, asshown in Fig. 2, and the i the eye-bolt when the hatch cover is slightly lowermost bulkhead section 21 is adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the floor section 64, as illustrated. The frame members are-notched out, as shown at 65* to receive a metal plate 72 which is secured to the edge of the lowermost bulkhead section and which extends downwardly overlapping the edge of the perforated plate 66 which supports the ice. A substantially tight.

closure is thus formed along the lower edge of the bulkhead. The floor board 61 next adjacent to the bulkhead 20 is hinged along its edge so that it may be swung upwardly away from the bulkhead, as illustrated by dotted lines, in order to permit convenient access to the drain channel for the purpose of cleaning it when the bulkhead is in a position forming a partition across the car.

- The roof of the car above each ice chamber 16 is provided with a hatchway through which the ice is inserted into the ice chamber. The hinged floor 64 of the ice chamber is provided beneath each of the hatchways 75 with a number of intermediate frame members 65 which terminate along the inner edge of the drain channel 70 and serve to reinforce the perforated plate 66 against downward bending in the area in which the ice is dropped. The hatchways 75 are'closed by hatch covers 79. Each hatch cover is hinged at 7 9 and the upward movement thereof for purposes of ventilation is'limited. by a chain 79 connected at 79 to the roof of the car and having an elongated hook 7 9 connected to the end thereof and adapted to engage an eye-bolt 79 secured to the hatch cover. The elongated hook can be withdrawn from the eye-bolt when the hatch cover is in its closed position but the length of the chain is such that the elongated hook cannot be removed from raised for ventilating purposes. This construction permits the usual elevation of the hatch covers for ventilating purposes but prevents the entrance into the car of unauthorized persons when the bulkhead is elevated and the car is used for general freight .purposes. This feature is important inpreventing the theft of the contents of the car when the ice chambers are not in use.

The end wall 14 of the car is provided on the inside of the inside sheathing 76 with a plurality of vertical frame members 77 which carry the woven wire 78. A perforated wall is thus formed at the end of the ear to permit a circulation of airaround the ice in the chamber and this perforated wall is adapted to remain permanently in position and to serve as the end wall of the car when the ice chamber is not in use. The side walls of the ice chamber between the end wall of the car and the removable bulkhead may be constructed similar to the end wall of the car or these side walls may be provided with perforated inner wall sections which are capable of being moved upwardly when the ice chamber is not in use. In the embodiment illustrated, these movable side wall sections 80 comprise a series of longitudinal frame members 81 which are united by transverse end frame members 82 and which are covered .on their inner sides by woven wire 83. These side wall sections may be hinged at their upper edges to the side walls of the car, as shown at 84 and are capable of being swung upwardly to overlap each other beneath the roo of the car.

For the 'purpose o'f'reinforcing the bulkhead sections 21 against the weight of the load which may be contained within the storage or refrigerating chamber of the car, there is provided a vertical I-beam 95 which is located preferably midway between the side walls of the car and is adapted to coact with the bulkhead sections within the ice chamber. This I-beam is adapted to pass through an aperture 91 in the hinged floor section 64 at its lower end and the upper end thereof is supported by a bracket 96 in the form of a rectangular loop which extends upwardly around a T-beam 97. This T- beam has its web directed upwardly and this web is cut away at its ends so that the lower transverse flange of the beam can be bent upwardly to form a connecting member 97 secured to the transverse frame member 46 and another connecting member 97 secured to the end plate 98 of the car. The beam 97 thus extends longitudinally of the car-adjacent the roof thereof and midway be ween the side walls. The webof this beam is cut away adjacent the transverse frame member 46 to form a notch 100 adapted to receive the bracket 96 when the beam 95 is dropped into position with the lower end thereof engaging the aperture 91 in the floor section 64. After the bulkhead sections 21 have been moved upwardly into the guideways 39, the supporting beam 95 may be moved longitudinally to the end wall of the car by elevating it until the upper part of the bracket 96 passes out of engagement with the notch 100. The beam can then be caused to slide longitudinally on the supporting beam 97 until it passes into a vertical recess 101 which is formedin the end wall of the car between two of the frame members 77, as shown in Fig. 3. As the beam 95 passes into the recess 101, the lower edge of the beam 95 passes over an angular plate 102 which is carried by the floor of the car and the beam can then be dropped downwardly with the lower end thereof lying behind the plate 102 andwith the bracket engaging another notch 103 which is formed in the web of the supporting beam 97, as shown in Fig. 2. After the beam 95 has been moved into position in the end wall of the car, the side car if desired, The floor section 64 at the bottom of the ice chamber is capable of being swung upwardly about its hinges to permit the cleaning of the drain channel 7 O and of the drain pan beneath the ice chamber but when the ice chamber is not in use, this floor section 64 is adapted to occupy its normal horizontal position with its upper surface lying flush with the upper reticulated floor 60 and forming a part of the floor of the car upon which the goods are stored.

A distinctive feature of the present invention is the elimination of the usual ice supportin shelf in the ice chamber and the provision of an ice supporting floor section which forms a part of the floor of the car and which lies in the same plane with the upper surface of the floor. This feature of construction not only makes it unnecessaryto dispose of the floor of the ice chamber when the car is not used as a refrigerator car, but it provides several additional cubic feet tity of ice which it is possible to carry with- ,in each ice chamber is greatly increased as compared with the capacity of the ordinary refrigerator car. A further important feature ofthe invention is the provision of the means for supporting the sectional bulkhead between the lateral walls of the car sothat the bending of this bulkhead toward the end wall of the car'is prevented and the strain upon the guide channels 31 decreased. This supporting beam 95 is capable of being conveniently removed to a position within the end wall of the car so that it does not occupy any space within the chamber of-the car or decrease the storage capacity of the car when the ice chamber is not in use.

Although I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustration, it will be seen that it may be constructed in various other forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v 1. In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber having an ice supporting floor located nor- I mally in the plane of the floor of the car.

I 2. In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber, a storage chamber, a floor for said storage chamber and an 'icesupporting floor for said ice chamber lying during normal operation substantially in the plane of said first mentioned floor.

3. In a refri erator car, an ice chamber, a storage chamIfie chamber,, and a floor for. said ice chamber having its upper surface normally lying flush with the upper surface of the floor of said stora e chamber.

4. n a refrigerator car, an ice chamber, 66 a storage chamber, a floor for said storage of space in the ice'chamber so that the quanr, a floor for said storagechamber, and a hinged ice supporting floor section for said ice chamber located normally in the plane of thefloor of said storage chamber. I

5. In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber, a storage chamber, an auxiliary floor for said storage chamber spaced above the floor of said car, and an ice supportingfloor for said ice chamber having its upper surface located normally in the plane of said auxiliary floor.

6. In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber, a storage chamber, an auxiliary floor for said storage chamber spaced above the floor of said car, and an ice supporting floor for said ice chamber having its upper surface locatednormally in the plane of said auxiliary floor, said ice supporting floor being a movable to permit access beneath the same.

7 In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber, an ice supporting floor for said ice chamber comprising frame members resting normally on the floor of the car, and an ice supporting plate carried thereby.

8. In a refrigerator car, an ice chamber having a movable wall comprising a plurality of complementary sections extending transversely of the car, meanssattached to the side walls of the car for engaging the ends of said sections, and means extending vertically between the side walls of the car for supporting said sections.

9. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending across the car and divided horizontally to form a plurality .of complementary sections which separate the space within the car into refri erant and refrigerating compartments, anf means located between the sides of the car for supporting said sections against the weight of the goods in the refrigerating compartment.

'10. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerant chamber having a wall composed of complementary sections extending parallel with each other, said sections bein movable 1H transversely to their longitu inal axes, guides engaging the ends of said sections, and removable supporting means located between saidguides for supporting the intermediate portions of said sections laterally. 115

11. In a refrigerator car,'a partition extending transversely of the car to form refrigerant and refrigerating chambers, said partition comprising a plurality of comple-' mentary horizontally extending sections 1 movable vertically, means attached to the sidewalls of the car for supporting and guiding said sections, and means extending vertically between the side walls of the car within the refrigerant compartment for sup- 125 orting said sections-against forces acting ongitudinally of the car,

12-. In a refrigerator car, a movable partition extending transversely of the car and dividing it into refrigerant and refrigerat- 130 ing compartments, and vertically extending supporting means located between the side walls of the car to support said partition and movable therefrom independently of said partition to an outer wall of the car.

13. In a refrigerator car, a removable partition extending transversely of the car and dividing it into refrigerant and refrigerating compartments, a vertically extending supporting member, means for removably supporting said supporting member in contact with the intermediate portions of said partition, and means for supporting said member in an inoperative position at the end of the car.

14. In a refrigerator car, a removable partition extending transversely of the car and dividing it into refrigerant and refrigerating compartments, a vertically extending supporting member, means for removably supporting said supporting member in contact with the intermediate portionsof said partition, means for supporting said member in an inoperative position at the end of the car, and means for guiding said supporting memberduring its movement from one position to the other.

15. In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition extending between said side walls and dividing the car into refrigerant and refrigerating chambers, a vertically extending supporting member adapted to engage said partition between said side walls, said end wall having a recess, and means for storing said supporting member in said recess.

16. In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition extending between said side wallsand dividing the car into refrigerant and refrigerating chambers, a vertically extending supporting member adapted to engage said partition between said side walls, said end wall having a recess, a track member extending between said end walland said partition, and means connecting said supporting member with said track member to permit movement thereof into said recess.

17 In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition extending between said side walls and dividing the car into refrigerant and refrigerating chambers, a vertically extending supporting member adapted to engage said partition between said side walls, said end wall having a recess, a track member extending between said end wall and said partition, means connecting said supporting member with said track member to permit movement thereof into said recess, and means associated with said track member for supporting said supporting member in position engaging said partition.

18. In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition extending between said side Walls and dividing the car into refrigerant .and refrigerating chambers, a vertically extending member adapted to engage said partition between said side walls, said end wall having a recess, a track member extending between said end wall and said partition, means connecting said supporting member with said track member to permit movement thereof into said recess, means associated with said track member for supporting said supporting member in position engaging said partition, and means associated with said track member for holding said supporting member in said recess.

19. In a refrigerator car having a movable partition extending transversely of the car and dividing the same into refrigerant and refrigerating compartments, a vertically extending supporting member adapted to engage said partition between the sides of the car,'a track member extending from said partition toward the end of the car .within said refrigerant compartment, and

a bracket attached to said supporting member and adapted to coact with said track member, said track member being provided with notches to be engaged'by said bracket.

20. In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition adapted to divide the space within said car into refrigerant and refrigerating compartments, vertically extending supporting members adapted to engage said partition between the sides of said car, means carried by the floor of said car for engaging the lower end of said supporting member, said end wall being provided with a vertical recess adapted to receive said supporting member, a track member extending between said partition and said recess, said track member being provided with a notch at each end, and means carried by said supporting member to engage either of said notches and to permit the movement of said supporting member from one position to the other upon elevation thereof.

21. In a refrigerator car having side walls and an end wall, a movable partition adapted to divide the space within said car into refrigerant and refrigerating compart ments, a vertically extending supporting, member adapted to engage said partition between the sides of said car, means carried by the floor of said car for engaging the lower end of said supporting'member, said end wall being provldedj with a vertical recess adapted to receive said supporting member, altrac'k member extending between said partition and said recess, said track member being provided with a notch at each end, means carried bysaid supporting member to engage either of said notches and to permit the movement of said supporting member 'from one position to the other upon tending transversely of the car and comprising a plurality of complementary horizontally extending sections movable adjacent the roof of the car, said sections being adapted to divide the car into refrigerant and' refrigerof the floor of the "car ating chambers, guideways adapted to en.-

gage the ends of said sections to permit a sliding movement thereof, an upper supple mentary section hinged along its upper edge and adapted to be swung into a position in the plane of said sliding sections, means carried by the uppermost sliding section for locking said hinged section in its vertical position, said locking means comprising a plate secured to one edge of the upper sliding section, and a pivoted locking member movable transversely of the car adapted in one position to extend upwardly opposite said plate and in another position to permit the swinging of said hinged section thereover.

n testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

EDWARD POSSON. 

